Hunting With Heros - Veteran Outdoor TV And Polaris Give Back

Jim Stanek struggles daily with horrific memories painfully etched into his mind. "We were down picking through the rubble for survivors. We were under 70 feet of rubble that fell from the World Trade Center, trying to move an I-beam. Underneath the I-beam I saw two hands joined together, male and female. Both of them were wearing wedding bands yet neither of the hands were attached to bodies. Even though it was a tragedy that they'd passed away so horrifically, it gives me comfort hoping they were husband and wife and that they were together until the end. I can close my eyes and clearly see that image till this day," Jim told me as our private plane hauled ass toward Uvalde, Texas. "I can't get the smells of Ground Zero and combat out of my nose. The images are permanently burned into my head. That is my cross to bear. But I am proud to truly serve my country and to be a soldier." It was due to these events and what Stanek, a wounded vet, witnessed on that fateful day in September 2001 that he decided to join the Army. "As a 21-year-old man, wet behind the ears, 9/11 was a true awakening for me. It was a calling in defense of what happened."

Hitting the rewind button, a few years ago I met this dude named Billy Hodges who founded the Hunts for Heroes program in El Campo, Texas. Personally, I'm more comfortable in my Lycra figure-skating outfit, so I don't get the whole idea of hunting. But for guys who grew up hunting furry animals, it means a hell of a lot to them...so who am I to judge? I respected Billy's cause and wanted to do whatever I could to help. So I asked "Hot Donna," the smokin' External Relations Specialist from Polaris, if her company would be interested in donating a Ranger Crew to Hunts for Heroes as these machines make the hunt easier and more enjoyable. Since Donna is both Italian and a former native of New Jersey, she knew exactly who to threaten, I mean, who to ask in order to make it happen!

Billy's reasoning for founding Hunts for Heroes comes straight from the heart, stemming from an experience that happened almost 40 years ago: "I was on the way home for Christmas leave from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and I was in line at Delta's luggage check-in. I was talking to a Marine captain in line behind me when the pretty girl in front of us asked the man at the desk if she could have a seat that was not next to someone in the military. I was stunned! I stared at her in disbelief as she walked past me on the way to board the plane. To this day, I still remember those hateful words." Billy, like many from his generation, wanted to make sure that today's generation of warriors and protectors of this country know they are appreciated.

With Billy's help, I got hooked up with the "Veteran Outdoors" TV show (www.veteranoutdoors.com). Honor is a word we've heard all our lives, but in a day and age when morons like Snookie and the Situation from "Jersey Shore" are painting the picture that all Americans are as shallow and stupid as they are, it's rarely seen. Veteran Outdoors' main purpose is to honor our country's wounded war veterans and their families by fulfilling their dream hunt wishes while giving them an outlet to tell their story along the way.